After Elections: Canada Next To Legalise Cannabis?

Things are looking green for Canada, as its newly elected Prime Minister declares he fully intends to legalize marijuana on a recreational basis.

In recent news, the Liberal Party of Canada took a landslide victory in the nation’s recent elections, giving Justin Trudeau’s and his liberal MPs the mandate to shape the country’s future. One issue that has already been addressed is marijuana, and Trudeau intended to see it legalized.

It is great news that is sure to help end persecution and bolster the economy with a new industry. Trudeau has promised that with him in charge, a system for the regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana would be put in place nationwide – it was a key part of his election campaign, and it will make Canada one of the very few countries in the world to have legalized on a national level.

It is a breath of fresh air, and breaks a nine-year stint of Conservative regression – of whom committed to rolling out mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, and tried to shut down needle clinics.

According to an official spokesman for the Liberal Party:

"We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana. Marijuana prohibition doesn't prevent youth use, causes socially disruptive and expensive arrests, and supports organized crime.” The statement adds, "We will remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code, and create new, stronger laws to punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside of the new regulatory framework."

A BRIGHT FUTURE… IN A YEAR OR SO

While this is amazing news for Canada, and the fight to end prohibition as a whole, it is not something that is going to happen in the blink of an eye. Although there are good examples to go off of, such as Colorado and Washington, creating a regulatory framework within the Canadian legal system is going to take time. It is estimated by the Liberals that it will take between one to two years to fully implement the system. Some may see this as a bit of a downer, but it is progress, and a significant change for the country whose previous government thought cannabis was more dangerous than tobacco.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US IN EUROPE?

Rather interestingly, Canada’s U-turn on cannabis drug policy could have big implications for us here in the EU. Canada is a major player of the UN, and undoubtedly a world power. The UN will be convening in roughly six months for a special session on Drugs, and having Canada pro-cannabis is going to help a lot in putting pressure on global prohibition. Brick by brick, the wall of cannabis prohibition is crumbling!